Shoe molded to shape of foot



Nov. 21, 1950 F. SHERWIN ETAL SHOE MOLDED TO sum: 0F FOOT 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Oct. 16, 1945 Ill mmsxw Nov. 21, 1950 F. SHERWIN EI'AL 2,530,737

SHOE MOLDED TO SHAPE OF FOOT Filed Oct. 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Nov. 21, 1 950 Frank Sherwin and Anton A. Benson, Washington,D; 0.

Application October 16, 1945, Serial No. 622,574

1 Claim.

This invention relatesto shoe molded to shape of" foot, and especiallyto the production of a shoe; individually tailored or constructed forthe particular human foot on which it is intended to be worn.

The objects of the invention include the production of a shoe. whichwill allow freedom of movement of the-various. parts of the foot,including the joints, which will. provide maximum support, will beattractive. in. appearance, have maximum durability, and therefore ofgreatest practicability and comfort.

It is also an object ofTthe invention to provide a shoe of the abovecharacteristics with a lining, for both the sole and side walls oftheshoe, of one piece or substantially one piece construction, as well as ashoe capable of being produced in a minimum of time with the leasteffort, simplest mechanism and materials, and at a reasonable cost.

Briefly stated, the invention includes the production of a mold of thefoot by first applying a plastic composition to the exterior of the footwhile the person or individual. is seated so that the footwill be in itsnatural or relaxed position,

not excessively spread, and then casting a last,

in the negative mold thus obtained. Upon this last the shoe is built.

The several steps of constructing the orthopedic shoe contemplated inthe present invention comprise covering sole and sides of the last withsoftened leather cutto form an inner lining; forming or molding aresilient shock absorbing cushion or pad for the soleof the foot;securing said pad to the under side of the sole portion of the lining;securing a sole defining annulus around the edge of the cushioning pad;surrounding the inner lining and the periphery of the annulus with anouter layer or casing of softened leather; and afii'xing a sole to theunder side of the resilient pad. It has been found that wool fibers withadhesive and a synthetic rubbery liquid'having high heat and wearresistance makes a'highly satisfactory sole, although leather, composition, or other material may be employed.

When the shoe is set the last is removed and the leather edges may becutto improve the design, and sewn byha-nd or machine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an inner lining and its supporting soleportion, in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2, a topplan view of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3,.a longitudinal section of the structure of the precedingfigures, with the addition thereto of 'asurface layer, sole; andanannular retaining strip for the sole;

Fig. 4, a top plan view of the completed moo casin-typesole;

Fig. 5, a top plan view of thetoe portion of a slightly modified type ofshoe, in which the toes are likewise enclosed, but with greater exposureof the side portions of the foot;

Fig. 6, a side elevation of a shoe of a slightly modified" constructionin which the toes are exwill have asurface contour and configurationidentical with the surface of the foot. If desired, portions ofthe-lastmay be removed or supplemented in accordance with requirements.

Upon the last H2 is applied a lining H, which may be of' a single pieceof material, of leather or the like, having a smooth surface which willbe toward the surface of the foot and therefore comfortable to thewearer. As illustrated, this lining may conform to any desired pattern;however, as shown, it consists of side portions l2 and I 3, a counterportion I4, and a sole-portion E5. The side portions are abuttinglyunited at a joint at the toe of the shoe, and the sides and counterportion are united at joints I? and H3. The side portion ii of thelining is provided with a strap 19, which extends over the instep intooverlappingrelation with the side It.

The leather blank which forms the lining may be cut to other desiredpatterns, and is softened by manipulation, kneading or the like, underthe proper conditions of temperature and humidity, an atmosphere ofinternal body temperature' ofabout 9'8.6 F. being found satisfactory. Onthe smooth side of the lining a coating of adhesive is applied and thelining is placed, pressed, and worked into intimate engagement withthe'desired area of the last, with the smooth adhesively coated faceagainst the last, and is permitted to set and adhere to the last.Thereafter, any surplus material producing bulging is cut away until asmooth surface is obtained. In this manner a lining isprovided whichwill intimately conform to the configuration of and be comfortable tothe foot.

While the lining is still cemented to the last, a pad or sole cushion 26is added. This pad or cushion is formed of a porous sheet of wovenfabric, or the like, treated or impregnated with hot semi-liquid plasticof a resilient nature when set, such as, for example, a rubber product,to afford desired cushioning of the foot. The layer 20 is applied to thelining beneath the bottom thereof to=cover the sole portion thereof, andto intimately conform to the sole portion of the lining. The resilientlayer or pad 20 has been found very desirable for maximum comfort. Ifgreater resiliency is desired additional layers may be employed toobtain the desired thickness and degree of resiliency, withoutmaterially impairing theflexibility of the shoe.

If aplurality of layers 20 are employed, they may be held together -bysewing and by adhesives. The resilient pad'thus provided is of greatimportance, because not only does it act as a cushion and resistprolonged flexing, but it spaces the foot above the surface on which theperson walks. In addition, it resists sunlight, does not swell ordisintegrate in the presence of oils and solvents, resists water,corrosion or oxidation, nor does it shrink, expand, or distort with use.After the resilient pad or cushion is satisfactorily set, its edge istrimmed and ground until the desired smoothness is obtained.

Thereafter an outsole retaining strip 2| of leather is applied and formsan annulus around the edge of the sole cushion 20. Next, the outer osurface leather layer 22 of the shoe is cut and softened similarly tothat of the inner lining and adhesive is applied to its unfinished sideso that the smooth, finished side will be the outer surface of the shoe.The surface layer 22 is then pressed into intimate contact with theexterior of the lining and the strip 21 so that it overlaps theunderside of the sole cushion 20 and covers the sides l2, l3, l4 andstrap [9 of the inner lining. Also, if desired, in addition to the useof adhesive, hand-sewing may be employed to additionally fasten thesurface layer to the lining. That portion of the layer which underlapsthe sole cushion is trimmed to remove surplus material extending belowthe annulus 2|.

The sole 23 may be of any desired character although it has been founddesirable to employ a sole of a flexible, durable, nature. Such a solemay be obtained from wool fiber treated or impregnated and mixed withadhesive and a synthetic rubbery liquid such as, for example, a rubberproduct which hardens substantially when allowed to set. Application ofthe mixture which constitutes this sole is preferably in plastic,fiowable state, the mixture is substantially liquid or semi-liquid, andis added to the bottom of the shoe in an amount to obtain the desiredthickness. This covers the pad 20 and the edge of the leather annuluspositioned around the edge of said pad.

When the footwear is completed and set the strap 19 is separated fromthe last, the last is removed, and the leather edges are trimmed andsewn.

It will be readily understood that a shoe in accordance with the abovewill combine maximum comfort and durability, and the weight of the samecan be readily controlled.

In Fig. 4, the shoe of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is provided with openings 25,and with the front, top, portion of the shoe provided with a permanentlyattached or removable section 25 joined at its margin to the upper ofthe shoe, thus providing a moccasin-type shoe. The openings 24 serveboth for decoration and ventilation. The upper of the shoe is formed bythe inner and outer layers H and 22. The front top section or tongue 25is secured in place by a lacing or stitching 25, and such top piece isremovable if desired, or is permanently attached. The tongue of the topsection 25 is provided with slits 2? for reception of the strap 28, thebottom layer of which is formed by the strap l9. The material of thetongue between the slits is pulled up and the strap inserted through theslits as disclosed. The tongue of the shoe in all emoodiments may beconnected by any desired fastening means, as for example, a tie 29attached to the upper of the shoe and having its ends extending throughthe strap so that it may be tied to secure the tongue in position.

Fig. illustrates the front portion of a slightly being adhesivelyunited.

modified form of shoe with a top piece 25' slightly narrower near thestrap, providing additional freedom for the sides of the foot. Ernbossedapertured portions 30 overlying the toes are also provided, otherwisethe inner and outer layers II and 22' correspond to the inner and outerlayers II and 22 previously described.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is disclosed a shoe similar to that previouslydescribed, except for the covering for the toes and. front portion ofthe foot. In the shoe of Figs. 6 and 7 the toes are exposed and a tetheror restraining connection 31 joins the sole of the shoe, with the lowertapered extremity of a top member or tongue 32 provided with slits 33for receiving the strap 28. The tether or restraining connection isadapted to be connected between the great toe and the adjacent toe ofthe foot and leave the toes exposed but retains the foot in properposition within the shoe.

Except for the modifications described above, the inner and outer layers1 I and 22" correspond to the inner and outer layers I I and 22previously described.

While we have described the production of a cushioning pad fabricated onthe exterior of the lining beneath the sole thereof, this cushioning padmay be formed directly on the cast prior to the application of thelining to the cast, and such molded pad can thereafter be removed andsubsequently be cemented to the underside of the lining beneath the solethereof after the lining is applied to the cast.

Also, instead of an outsole defining strip or annulus of leatherpositioned around the edge of the cushioning pad, an annulus of likeconstruction may be employed which serves merely to give a smooth finishto the cushioning pad before the outer layer of leather is applied.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only asindi cated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An orthopedic shoe comprising an integral one-piece leather liningmolded to the shape of; a human foot, a resilient pad formed of porouswoven fabric impregnated with a resilient plastic positioned beneathsaid lining and secured thereto, a sole defining annulus formed from arelatively narrow strip of sheet material of uniform cross-sectionsurrounding said pad and depending therebeneath, an outer leather casingfor said lining surrounding the periphery of said annulus, and a solemember of wool fibers treated with synthetic rubbery liquid having highheat and wear resistance, the component parts FRANK SHERW'IN. ANTON A.BENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Murray Oct. 19, 1943

